U of A Sisters’ Circle

Participate in “Campaign for Kindness” by performing an act of kindness, no matter how small, for every day of the month of Ramadan. It can be anything - even just smiling at someone, not replying to someone’s insults, etc. The idea is to be consistent and consciously perform these acts so that they might become habits. Please feel free to share any suggestions for kind deeds or any experiences you had while doing this

Check out: kindnesscampaign.wordpress.com/

InshaAllah we will meet next on Monday. Oct.2, Room 606 of SUB at 12:00

Sr. Amena will give a presentation on: Characteristics of a muslim - how can we stand out as model human beings!

Hope to see you there

Caliph Ali was once fighting in a war imposed on Muslims, and the chief of the Unbelievers confronted him. During the fight, the Ali was able to overcome him, who fell down on the ground and Ali was about to kill him. This person, knowing his fate now, had no choice so he spit on the face of Ali. Ali immediately got up and left him alone. The man came running to him and asked, “You had a chance to kill me since I am a Polytheist; how come you didn’t use your sword?” Ali said, “I have no personal animosity toward you. I was fighting you because of your disbelief, on behalf of God. If I had killed you after you spat on my face, then it would have become my personal revenge which I do not wish to take.” That Unbeliever chief became a Muslim immediately and testified that ‘There is no god but Allah, and that Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is the Messenger of Allah’.

Sa’eed bin Musayyeb says: Once the Prophet (peace be upn him) was sitting with his Companions, and one person used insulting words against Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), causing him pain. But Abu Bakr remained silent. The person again used bitter words against Abu Bakr, and still Abu Bakr did not respond. The third time when this ignorant person hurt Abu Bakr with his tongue, Abu Bakr tried answering back.

At this point the Prophet (sall Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) got up. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him, “Are you displeased with me, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet (pbuh) replied, “No, but (when you remained silent) an angel came down from the heaven responding to this man’s talk. But the moment you started replying to that man, the angel went away and the devil sat down. And I cannot sit where the devil is sitting.”[Abu Dawood]

Assalamu alaikum Sisters!

Ramadan Mubarak

Alhamdulillah, our first sisters’ circle meeting of Ramadan went very well! After a presentation on Ramadan advice, we had a lively discussion. If you would like to see anything posted on this blog, please email ghani.sana@gmail.com

Summary of presentation:

Imam al-Ghazali described fasting as a shield to protect ourselves from Shaytan. When Shaytan tries to attack us, he does so first in matters of creed and belief. We protect ourselves by seeking sacred knowledge and protecting our iman. After this, he tries to attack us through shahawat, appetite and lust. Fasting weakens these passions. Patience and fasting are profoundly connected. The Prophet (upon him be peace) said that fasting is half of patience. It takes patience to keep these passions in check; otherwise we can become slaves to our desires.

Imam al-Ghazali categorizes fasting into three groups: regular fasting entails fulfilling the outer aspects of the fast (abstaining from food, sex, etc.). Higher fasting (that of the righteous) is keeping eyes, ears, tongue, hands and feet free from sin. The highest form of fasting (that of the prophets and those who are closest to Allah) is abstaining from any worldly thought. This fast is broken by thinking about anything other than Allah. After fulfilling the outward requirements of the fast, we must try to fulfill the inward aspects by striving to protect all organs from sin (higher fasting).

Ibn al-Qayyim describes the body as a country. The heart is the central capital and the seven “limbs” (eyes, ears, tongue, stomach, genitals, hands, and feet) are the boundaries. Shaytan tries to make inroads to the heart through these limbs. If we are vigilant about protecting these “boundaries” from sin, our hearts will have a chance to draw nearer to Allah.

We guard our site by lowering our gazes from anything displeasing to Allah. The Prophet (upon him be peace) said, “The furtive glance is one of the poisoned arrows of Satan, on him be God’s curse. Whoever forsakes it for fear of God will receive from Him, Great and Glorious is He, a faith the sweetness of which he will find within his heart”.

It is extremely important to guard our tongues. The Prophet (upon him be peace) said, “Fasting is a shield; so when one of you is fasting he should not use foul or foolish talk. If someone attacks him or insults him, let him say, “I am fasting, I am fasting!” Saying this reminds us that the tongue is a trust from Allah and it is our responsibility to guard it.

According to Tradition: ‘Two women were fasting during the time of God’s Messenger, on him be peace. They were so fatigued towards the end of the day, from hunger and thirst, that they were on the verge of collapsing. They therefore sent a message to God’s Messenger, on him be peace, requesting permission to break their Fast. In response, the Prophet, on him be peace, sent them a bowl and said: “Tell them to vomit into it what they have eaten.” One of them vomited and half filled the bowl with fresh blood and tender meat, while the other brought up the same so that they filled it between them. The onlookers were astonished. Then the Prophet, on him be peace, said: “These two women have been Fasting from what God made lawful to them, and have broken their Fast on what God, Exalted is He, made unlawful to them. They sat together and indulged in backbiting, and here is the flesh of the people they maligned!”‘

Imam al-Ghazali was very critical of overeating during Ramadan. It defeats the purpose of the fast. We fast to weaken our passions so that we can work on our hearts. Overeating stimulates passions. It is not enough to just postpone a meal. We should try to consume a little less than we would normally have in a day. “Anyone who puts a bag of food between his heart and his breast becomes blind to [the Night of Power].”

Ramadan is an excellent opportunity to work on ourselves because our condition becomes clear. Shaytan is locked up. Any bad thoughts we might have come as a result of the damage he has caused throughout the year. In Ramadan, the weaknesses of our own nafs become manifest and we can work on them without the whispers of Shaytan to detract us.

Imam al-Ghazali said, “How many people are not fasting, but with God they are fasting? And how many people are fasting, but with God they are not fasting?” What is meant by this is that there are people who exercise patience and protect their eyes, ears, tongue, stomach, genitals, hands, feet free from sin throughout the year. With God they are “fasting” in that they fulfill the objectives of fasting – patience and self-control. On the other hand, there are those who physically fast during Ramadan, but as the Prophet (upon him be peace) said, “Many people who fast get nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst”. For these people Ramadan is just a time of inconvenience and hunger, but it ends with a party. We can’t loose this opportunity like that. This is a tremendous opening for us and a chance to build for the hereafter and work on our hearts. The sign of acceptance of an act of worship is that it changes you. If we seriously strive for the blessings of Ramadan and work on ourselves, inshaAllah the barakah will carry on throughout the year.

Here’s some more advice Sr. Ayesha found:

In another hadith, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) says, “Ramadan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down Mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the Mighty, the Exalted.” [Narrated by Tabarani]

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It is the month of generosity. Ibn `Abbas said, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to be at his most generous in Ramadan.”

The Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said: ‘Kindness was never bestowed upon something except that it beautified it, and it was never removed from that thing except that it made it ugly.‘

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10 great goals to set for this Ramadan
by Sound Vision Staff writer

1. Eat, drink and be moderate
Almost all of us do it - once Iftar time hits, we just keep plowing food and drink into our mouths till it’s hard to move afterwards. And those of us who do it know this is totally contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, through which we’re supposed to learn self-control not self-indulgence. Let’s try to stick to the Prophetic rule on eating: fill our stomachs with one-third food, one-third water and one-third breathing space, even in Ramadan.

2. Give a dollar a day in charity…or five or ten [Or smile]
The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was always generous but even more so in Ramadan. Let’s open our hearts and dig a little deeper in our wallets this year. Even less than a dollar a day adds up. Whatever you can give, it’s the intention that counts.

3. Memorize 4 new Surahs
Memorizing the Quran often seems like a daunting task. But the key is doing it in small bites. Since there are four weeks in Ramadan, try to memorize one new Surah a week. Start off with a short, easy one. Once you’ve started, you’ll build momentum and may even want to memorize a longer one the following week.

4. Go to Tarawih prayers
Post-Iftar, the first urge is to sleep after an exhausting day. But try your best to head out to the mosque for Tarawih prayers. Praying alone is wonderful, but doing it in congregation is fantastic. The community spirit is part of Ramadan’s blessings. Don’t miss it this year. If going every day is not possible, try going at least one week.

5. Attend the Tarawih prayer in which the recitation of the Quran will be finished
Call the local mosque and find out which day the Imam will be finishing the recitation of the Quran in prayer. Attend to not only hear part of the Quran’s recitation in prayer, but also participate in the heart-rending Duas that follow it. 

6. Stop swearing and/or backbiting – with a special box
It’s hard not to shoot our mouths off when someone’s upset us. Whether we utter those four-letter words or backbite about someone to our family and friends, we know this isn’t the God-approved way of letting off steam. In Ramadan, when we want to build our spirituality, we’ve got to wage Jihad against our bad habits.

Try this: get a box and every time you catch yourself swearing or backbiting put some money in it. It could be a buck or less. The point is to choose an amount that makes it feel like punishment.

At the end of the month send the money to a charity or buy a gift for the person whom you’ve backbitten the most against.

7. Call/email your relatives
You’d think that given the easy access to email, competitive long-distance calling rates, phone cards, etc. these days, we’d keep in touch with family and friends more often. But the opposite seems to be the case, as we get caught up in life’s “busyness.”

Strengthening ties with family members and keeping in touch with friends is part of our way of life and an act Allah is very pleased with. This Ramadan, call family and friends or at least email them a Ramadan card and ask them how their fasting is going.

8.Go on a technology diet
Even if you work in the IT industry, you can do this. Avoid checking personal email and surfing the web during your fast. After Iftar, instead of plopping yourself in front of the screen, go to Tarawih. The same goes for the television. The point is to try to give our full attention to spiritual elevation this month.

9. Read 5 minutes of Quran a day…just five, not more, not less Even if you feel you’ve got absolutely no time, set a timer or the alarm on your cell phone and find a relatively quiet place. You can read the first page of the Quran you open or follow a sequence. The choice is yours. The point is simply to connect with God through His revelation in the month of the Quran.

10. Forgive everyone who has hurt you
Still got a festering wound from the fight with your friend last year? Still upset about something your spouse said during a heated argument? Or are you still bitter about the way your parents sometimes treated you as a kid? Let go of the anger and pain this Ramadan and forgive those who have hurt you. Forgiving someone is not only good for the body, but it’s also great for the soul. And in Ramadan, ten days of which are devoted to Allah’s forgiveness, shouldn’t we lesser beings forgive too?

If you find it very difficult to forgive everyone, forgive at least three people.

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Inner Dimensions of Fasting
Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali
Translated from the Ihya’ Ulom ud Din by Muhtar Holland

Three Grades

It should be known that there are three grades of Fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special.

Ordinary Fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.

Special Fasting means keeping one’s ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet — and all other organs — free from sin. (stomach and genitals)

Extra-special Fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but God, Great and Glorious is He. This kind of Fast is broken by thinking of worldly matters, except for those conducive to religious ends, since these constitute provision for the Hereafter and are not of this lower world. Those versed in the spiritual life of the heart have even said that a sin is recorded against one who concerns himself all day with arrangements for breaking his Fast. Such anxiety stems from lack of trust in the bounty of God, Great and Glorious is He, and from lack of certain faith in His promised sustenance.